A Different Cain
by Miller0259
Summary: Cain returns to Finaqua to find DG has replaced him, name and all... DG/Cain Bonus Chapter!
1. A Different Cain

Title: A Different Cain  
Characters: DG/Cain, and....Cain  
Timeline: Post eclipse  
Rated PG  
Genre: Romance, Drama/Humor (jealous fluff, lol)  
Summary: Cain returns to Finaqua to find DG has replaced him, name and all....

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Wyatt Cain would never admit to it, but he had butterflies in his stomach. It had been weeks since he'd seen DG. Months since the eclipse. And a long time since he's been through this god forsaken maze.

_Where the _hell _am I?_

He normally had a pretty good sense of direction but this maze did quite a number on him. He probably could have been paying a little more attention to where he was going, but he couldn't help his racing thoughts that centered around his dearly missed friends.

He had heard Glitch finally gained Ambrose's knowledge back, Raw was sticking with the royal family and DG had been adjusting quite well to the life of a Princess.

He laughed inwardly at that last thought. He had heard of her rebellious acts and more than one noble being turned away by the full-of-life-slipper. His stomach seemed to flip at the thought of her, and he berated himself for being so nervous. He was just coming back for a visit. The four of them had been through quite the ordeal, and he felt they should try and keep in touch, or that's what he kept telling himself whenever he felt the urge to see her.

This maze was getting on his nerves though. The tall walls seemed to mock him at every turn, and he scolded himself for refusing an escort by one of the guards at the beginning. Just as he was about to turn around and retrace his steps (_for the third time_), he came into some kind of clearing.

There was a gentle sloping hill leading down to a small pond with a beautiful weeping willow resting at its edge. It was terrifically peaceful and he found himself no longer worried about making it out of the maze. _I must be on the outskirts of the maze._ He was about to sit down and rest for a moment when he noticed a brilliant white and gray husky burst out of the maze after him.

He stood wide eyed as the dog bounded up to him, sniffed his hand and continued to run in circles around him. It was only then that he heard a faint giggle behind him.

He'd know that laugh anywhere. An unbidden smile came to his face as he pictured the four of them crowded around a fire with Glitch entertaining them with one of his stories. Raw would be dozing, he would be smirking, and DG would be attentive as ever, trying to absorb every word, laughing at Glitch's antics.

"Hey! Hey, Cain?" she called sounding confused from within the maze.

He suddenly tensed. He didn't know if he should call out, run towards her or away from her. He realized that he wasn't quite ready to see her yet. His feet made his mind up for him and he took off across the clearing to another opening in the surrounding maze, completely forgetting the dog as it sprinted back towards the voice. He turned back just as he was about to disappear around the corner when the dog barked at the voice coming out from the section of maze he had earlier.

"Cain come back here this instant!" she yelled again, sounding annoyed now.

_Why does she sound so angry? How could she possibly know he was here? Nobody knew he was coming back today. And how in the world did she know I was walking away? She's still out of sight!_ He quickly darted just inside the other entrance to the maze as she broke into the clearing.

"There you are!" she called out, sounding relieved. He could almost picture her waving her arms in relief. He was about to come back out, thinking he'd been caught when she continued, "Look here. That was no way to treat a suitor, Cain, no matter how pompous or obnoxious they are…"

_What the hell? _He peeked around the corner to see her scowling, at the dog, of all things.

She looked even more beautiful than the last time he saw her. She came flowing out of the maze, her pale blue dress billowing out behind her from where she had gathered the train in her hands. She had her hair pulled into a low ponytail to the side with a few stray pieces falling around her face. She was breathtaking, despite the furrowed eyebrows and pouting lip.

The dog just barked and proceeded to make a circle in front of her and shake its tail excitedly. She huffed and sat down, with arms crossed, and blew some hair out of her face as her dress settled around her. She seemed to be pouting, and the dog put a tentative paw on her knee and leaned in to nudge her cheek with its nose.

He saw her stern façade begin to crumble but she ignored the dog. It let out a gentle woof and she finally looked at it again.

"You're just like him, you know?" she began, still scowling at the animal. "Ridiculously protective and practically growling at any man that comes within twenty feet of me!" she exclaimed. She paused for a moment, and then shrugging she added, "Well. You both _actually_ growl at them."

Cain felt his ears go red, but couldn't help the slight smirk that appeared as he remembered dealing with some of her earlier suitors. _She's comparing me? To a dog? _He shrugged; he hadn't been entirely pleasant to them as he recalled.

The dog sat back and lowered its head as a sort of apology, she laughed, scratching the dog fondly behind the ears, "Well that's just not fair! You know I can't resist those blue eyes!" She tilted her head as dog Cain stepped closer, "They're a lot like his…" she mumbled.

The husky proceeded to lick her face and she laughingly said, "And there, my furry friend, is the difference between you two! You are unafraid of affection." She playfully shoved him away.

Cain nearly toppled out of the maze. _I what!? I am not! She wants me to lick her face? _He shook his head, trying desperately to clear that colorful image from his mind. _Probably not literally…._

"Lord Ackelman was pretty arrogant, wasn't he?" she murmured conspiratorially, and the dog barked in response. "Alright, Cain!" she said, picking up a nearby stick, "Gooooo fetch!" She hurled the stick across the clearing towards the pond, and the dog took off after it.

_The dog's name is Cain!? She named a dog after me?_ He didn't know whether to feel pleased or insulted. He decided to go with pleased as he watched her face light up when the dog came back.

The real Cain began to feel like a fool for hiding from her. He figured it was time to make his presence known. Dog Cain was off by the pond, so he quietly slipped out of the maze and made his way up behind her.

Dog Cain suddenly tensed, and began sprinting back towards DG, letting out one loud bark in warning. Cain slowed and DG spun around. She let out a surprised whoop when she saw him not far from her. Dog Cain leapt in front of her and growled at Cain.

"Oh, would you cut it out!" she yelled at dog Cain and pointed a finger at the dog. A silvery chain of light poured out of her finger and went to the dog's neck. She tugged back as she stood up and dog Cain began to calm down. She had made a leash. _She's gotten better with her magic._

"Hey there, Princess," he finally managed, a weak smile gracing his lips.

"Mister Cain…" she sounded absolutely floored. The dog cocked its head at the name.

"I uh-" he began, shifting uncomfortably.

"What are you doing here?" she cut him off. "I mean, when - wha- what!?" her shoulders slumped and she shook her head, trying to process what was happening.

"I was just on my way back," he trailed off. Trying to shrug it off, he continued, "Then I got lost…" then, glaring at his surroundings, he added bitterly, "in this confounded maze."

Her face had softened when he looked back to her. He looked the same to her. The same hat, same coat, same eyes. She had missed him.

"It's been awhile since, uh…" he swallowed and his excuse for getting lost trailed off, when he got locked onto her bright blue eyes.

"Yes. Yes it has," she said solemnly.

He bowed his head, looking guilty and regretting his words, but a soft smile spread across her face.

"It's good to see you," she said quietly, closing the distance between them and pulling him into a hug.

Even though he was a little surprised, he still found himself smiling slightly, closing his eyes as he pulled her tightly against him. He had missed this.

Dog Cain must have nudged her, feeling left out, because when she pulled back, she laughed and scratched his head.

"I see you've replaced me, name and all," he said smirking, as dog Cain jumped up putting both front paws on his chest, smelling his face.

Her eyes flashed up to his, the slightest pink gracing her cheeks, making her glow.

"How much did you hear?" she asked weakly.

He ducked his head, laughing, "Enough." The dog dropped back down and went in circles around the two of them, obviously approving of her friend.

She grinned embarrassedly. She realized how much she missed his smile. How much she missed him in general. He was having similar thoughts about her.

"You named him after me?" he asked in mild surprise.

She laughed, "Actually no," she said turning with him towards the maze. "The dog was a gift, and he already had the name." She shrugged and playfully bumped his shoulder, "I thought it was fitting."

"Uh huh…" he bumped her back slightly. "You just missed me…"

Her eyes flashed back up to him. "Can you blame me?" she asked him sweetly.

He ignored her question. "Nice dress," he said it dryly, knowing how she wasn't fond of them, but he sounded half sincere.

"I kind of like this one," she spun around for him, but he still caught her cheeks going red again.

"Come on then, Tin Man," she said, taking his hand in hers, pulling him back through the clearing. "Let's go tell everyone you're here! I'll even let you kick Lord Ackelman out for old times' sake….if he hasn't left already. Cain here did quite the number on him. Sent him sprawling into the biggest mud puddle I've ever seen."

Cain chuckled and commended dog Cain for a job well done. He glanced briefly down at their hands and then laced his fingers with hers.

He looked up to see her staring at him with a soft smile on her face.

"Are you done leaving for awhile?"

He stopped walking and his face softened as he looked her. "Yeah," he answered quietly.

She wrapped her other arm around his neck, pulling him close again. She kissed his cheek and whispered into his ear, "Thanks for coming back to me."

His free arm wrapped lightly around her waist, and he bowed his head next to hers, nuzzling her neck.

"Always."


	2. Breaking the Silence

Title: A Different Cain - Breaking the Silence  
Characters: DG, and an OC :)  
Timeline: Post eclipse, Pre-A Different Cain (so Cain is still gone)  
Rated PG  
Genre: Fluff  
Summary: DG is reflecting when a familiar noise interrupts her  
Disclaimer: I don't own Tin Man  
A/N: For the Big Damn Prompt Table...I'm actually POSTING something for it!! X  
Prompt: Quiet

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DG loved the quiet that falling snow brought.

She took a few steps through the snow and enjoyed the muffled noise. The top layer of snow hadn't froze yet, leaving it un-crunchy.

She looked up at the trees and smiled at the evergreen branches laden with snow. The powdering almost looked fake, but still caught her artist eye's interest. The forest covered in snow was always so welcoming. It made her feel alone, but not necessarily in a negative sense. It offered peace and calmness in which to reflect.

A canine sneeze interrupted her thought.

She looked over to see a gray and white husky backing away from the root of a tree, looking perturbed.

"Bless you!" she called to it.

It straightened at the voice, forgetting the most recent scent that agitated its nose, its ice blue eyes focusing on her. She tilted her head at it, which prompted its pink tongue to appear and curled, fluffy tail to wag.

She smiled beneath her scarf.

"Come on then, Cain…Let's head back before we both get sick…"


	3. Give a Dog a Bone

Title: A Different Cain - Give a Dog a Bone  
Characters: DG, Glitch, and an OC :)  
Timeline: Post eclipse, Pre-A Different Cain (so Cain is still gone)  
Rated PG  
Genre: Fluff  
Summary: DG is just trying to make a Thanksgiving-ish meal  
Disclaimer: I don't own Tin Man  
A/N: For the Big Damn Prompt Table...I'm actually POSTING something for it!! X  
Prompt: Bone

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"Glitch!" DG admonished. "If you keep eating the turkey as you cut it, there'll be nothing left for the meal!"

He frowned down at the slice he almost had in his mouth. He thought he was being subtle. And he really hadn't had that much… He glanced at the plate holding freshly cut, steaming, mouthwatering turkey.

It was half full.

He raised an eyebrow at DG's back and popped the piece in his mouth.

"You better watch it, you know. Cain will tell me if you've been sneaking, won't you Cain?" she said looking over her shoulder. When there wasn't a response she turned a bit more. "Cain?"

A noise reached Glitch's ears and his eyes widened. He turned on the electric carver to cover any response, and he started carving away so as to avoid eye contact.

Ambrose nudged him mentally after a moment and he glanced up to see DG standing with her hands on her hips.

He turned off the carver and looked up with as innocent a smile as he could muster. She opened her mouth to say something, when a wet and crunchy noise reached her ear.

Her brow furrowed and she ducked under the table he was working on and raised the tablecloth. The noise ceased and Glitch closed his eyes and winced as she gasped.

"Cain!" she laughed.

Glitch's eyes popped open. He promptly ducked under the table and tablecloth as well. There lay dog!Cain with a large turkey leg, the bone sticking out, between his front paws, but was innocently sniffing DG's face. She petted the top of his head and his pink tongue swiped over the side of his mouth.

She gave Glitch a look, like she couldn't really be upset with the dog, and sighed.

"Alright you two…maybe _I'll _take over turkey-duty from now on."

Glitch frowned and Cain looked up at him sadly with ice blue eyes.

No more turkey freebies.


	4. A Different Point of View

A/N: So. This is sort of a continuation that was inspired by another story/project I'm doing. I'm not starting this up again full force or anything. Just a random bonus chapter! This covers the original chapter and then continues it a bit btw…

Oh! And there's a reason this has terrible Eng-li-lish. You'll get it in a minute…I promise.

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Cain didn't like many people.

Cain liked DG. And very much disliked those she disliked. Cain tolerated those she liked but never got too close to them. He saw things in black and white – you were either on DG's good side or her bad side, there wasn't much of a gray area.

Except that's all Cain _could_ see – black, white, and gray.

Because Cain was a dog.

And not just any dog. Personal protector dog and companion to DG. A job he took very seriously. If DG wasn't happy, then Cain wasn't happy.

But lately, Cain was annoyed.

His DG kept having strange men around. She didn't seem to like any of them and Cain didn't trust them. They would be introduced and many words spoken that Cain didn't understand and some would even try and hold DG's hand.

Cain didn't like that.

Almost as much as he didn't like when the strange men tried to pet him on the head. He tended to growl or nip at their hands. Didn't they know it was rude to pet someone else's head without permission?

But then one day Cain was running through the tall-and-confusing-tunnels-of-grass near the shining lake and palace when he met another strange man.

Except on second sniff he didn't seem that strange. Cain had smelled that man's scent before. And seen his image. His DG would make images like that man on her pad-of-squares with the stick-not-meant-for-fetching.

That's where Cain knew the scent!

His DG had a square of fabric that smelled like that man. When his DG was alone, except for Cain, she would pull it out and turn it around and around in her hands. Sometimes she would use it to wipe her tears too.

And then his DG called him back, making him forgot all about the new man until he came out of the tall-and-confusing-grass too. And his DG had made her invisible leash so Cain couldn't stop the not-so-strange man from coming any closer. She almost never did that.

Cain was very surprised. And then his DG had called the not-so-strange man Cain! Or maybe she was introducing him, he wasn't sure.

Anyway, Cain could tell that his DG was very happy and so he could relax. She even hugged the not-so-strange-Cain-man!

His DG never did that to strangers! He placed his paws on the man's chest and sniffed his face so he could evaluate him. He could not find anything amiss and so he contented himself with just going around the Cain-man and his DG in circles. The man hadn't even tried to pet him! Cain already liked this man more than the others, but was still weary. But then his DG let Cain-man hold her hand, and so Cain knew that that man must be a very good friend.

His DG even rubbed her nose to the Cain-man's face! Cain tensed and decided that he would need to keep an eye on this man. He would not want anyone to stay around his DG if they might make her unhappy, and she so very obviously liked this man.

And so a week passed and the Cain-man was still here. Cain noticed that the Cain-man and his DG did not show affection in front of other people. They waited until they were alone together in rooms, except for Cain of course.

And while this made Cain distrust the Cain-man, the Cain-man was slowly earning Cain's respect. He was always ever so nice to his DG. His DG seemed a lot happier with him around too. The Cain-man even helped Cain run off the other strange men!

In fact, that is what the two of them had just finished doing. Cain wasn't sure what the strange man had said, but it had clearly upset his DG. Cain was growling and about to bite at the strange man when the Cain-man stepped in. He hit the man back from their DG and led her away. Even Cain could tell the Cain-man was angry though he did not growl as Cain did.

Now his DG was arguing with the DG-mother and Cain knew better than to intervene. He looked for a spot to sit away from the loud words when he spotted the Cain-man sitting on a bench nearby. Cain padded over next to him and sat down by the Cain-man's knee, looking at him. The Cain-man was sitting with his elbows resting on his knees, fingers laced in front of him, looking right back at Cain.

"What do you think, Cain?"

Cain cocked his head considering him. He thought back over the past week and decided that he really did like this Cain-man. The Cain-man would keep DG safe and happy, and that was all Cain could ask for. Cain straightened when he realized that he wouldn't mind if this Cain-man petted his head.

He realized he trusted this man.

Cain slowly moved his nose towards the Cain-man's hands. He unlinked his fingers to show Cain his empty palms. Silly man, Cain knew he didn't have any food.

Cain stood up and stepped closer. When the Cain-man didn't move his hand away, Cain pressed the top of his head into his palm, closing his eyes and granting him permission.

The Cain-man's fingers hesitantly brushed through his fur.

Cain opened his eyes when he heard the Cain-man chuckle in disbelief. He was smiling slightly and began to really scratch behind Cain's ears. Cain tilted his head slightly.

Ooooooh, right there.

"He trusts you," Cain heard the DG-sister say from behind him.

"It looks that way…"

"So when are you going to announce your intentions?"

The Cain-man stopped scratching Cain to look at the DG-sister.

"What?"

The DG-sister nodded to Cain.

"He is a special kind of dog. He only trusts his owner and his owner's significant other." She tilted her head. "So…again I ask: when are you going to announce your intentions?"

The Cain-man remained silent for a moment. Then he looked down at Cain briefly before looking over to their DG, the small smile reappearing on his face.

"I'm sure with DG that it's not so much the when, but the how…"

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A/N: Can I just say – during this chapter I once misspelled dog with an 'n' in the middle? I caught it like 2 days later and couldn't stop laughing for a solid minute. Mature? I think not…


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